


The C Word

by DonnaClaireHolmes



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-10-01 22:03:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17252198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DonnaClaireHolmes/pseuds/DonnaClaireHolmes
Summary: From a prompt from Tumblr; telling Sherlock you have cancer.





	The C Word

She had been dating the great consulting detective for nearly a year now. She moved into 221B Baker Street, quit her job and decided she’d rather solve cases with her boyfriend. She was like his business manager, keeping him in check and managing the finances. 

One late night, she decided she wanted to go out on a case. It had been a while and she had missed watching her Baker Street boys in action. Sherlock took the lead as she and John followed behind him, running through back-alleys and damp roads as they chased the first serial killer case they’ve had in a while. 

However, something was wrong. She had been running right on her boyfriend’s tail when she felt her lungs begin to close. Breather became harder and more painful as she lagged, slowing to a stop as Sherlock proceeded. John was behind her and managed to catch her before she fell, kneeling on the ground with her in his arms. 

 

“Sherlock! Sherlock, stop!!” John called to the detective as he unwrapped her scarf from her neck, tossing it aside as he checked her pulse. It took her boyfriend a second to realize what was happening before he sprinted back to the two of them, sliding over on his knees. He took her hand in his and brushed some hair from her face with the other. 

“Hey… it’s alright… we’ve got you. John, what’s wrong?!” Sherlock asked nervously, trying to hide it with a stoic face. When John didn’t answer, Sherlock pulled out his mobile and dialed 999. “I have an emergency. A woman collapsed in the street and is having difficulty breathing…. Yes, yes I can stay on the line….” He said, his voice practically shaking for him. “It’s going to be alright…. Taliya, I’ve got you, you’re going to be alright.” He said as the world turned black in her eyes, rendering her unconscious. 

When Taliya woke, it was night again. She was in a hospital bed with several devices attached to her chest, face and hand. The sight of them all made her anxious and made her heart rate increase. The noise made Sherlock jump up from his chair, throw his book to the side and sit on the bed next to her. 

“It’s okay, love.” Her boyfriend smiled down at her before kissing her forehead. He took one of her hands gently in his and tried to raise its temperature inbetween his own. “What…. happened?” Taliya’s voice was quiet and raspy. She coughed after she spoke, a small amount of blood dripping from her mouth. 

“You collapsed while we were out last night. The doctor’s have been doing tests and scans but nothing has come up yet. They were waiting till you woke up to see when you could come home.” He sighed, nervous of what they would find from their exams. Taliya sat up and wrapped her arms around him tightly. Sherlock held her just as tightly before realizing it may hurt her and let her lie back down. 

Taliya was released the next morning under strict regulations not to do anything strenuous until the last of the doctor’s tests came back. As much as she enjoyed being home, it bugged her that she couldn’t be of more help. She was filing the paperwork for the serial killer case Sherlock had finished while she was in the hospital when her mobile rang. It was one of the doctors from the hospital.

“Taliya? Hi, it’s nice to meet you.” The doctor said as Taliya entered her office. A sign on her door said “oncology” under her name, which made Taliya even more nervous. She took one of the seats in front of the desk as the doctor sat back down. “Are you sure there wasn’t anybody who could come with you today? Anyone to support you?” Taliya shook her head no, tears welling in her eyes as the doctor explained her condition. Stage four lung cancer with a large tumor attached to her left lung. 

“I’m sorry, but I can’t be too optimistic with this case. From here we can go one of three ways. First, major surgery to try and remove as much of the tumor as possible but you could die on the table. Second, radiation and chemo treatments till the tumor shrinks enough to a point that we can cut it out. And third, do nothing and give you about a year.” The doctor said with a sigh and a sorry expression on her face. 

Taliya went home that afternoon with fear in her heart and a decision on her mind. However, she only felt it right to tell her boyfriend before anything got worse. She spent the next several hours cleaning the flat till it was absolutely spotless. Taliya then cooked one of her favorite meals for the two of them, butter chicken with garlic naan, making a little extra in case John didn’t have a date. 

The table was set, the flat smelled like curry, and all the movement made Taliya exhausted. She turned the burners on the stove off and blew out the candles before heading to Sherlock’s leather chair and curling up on its seat. She fell asleep for several hours, not even noticing the boys coming home. John had to tell Sherlock to shut up in fear that his loudness would wake her. 

Sherlock gave a sad smile when he saw Taliya asleep in his chair. As gently as possible, Sherlock picked his girlfriend up and carried her to their room, laying her down gently. They boys waiting till it sounded as if she was waking up to reheat and plate the meal she had prepared. They were hoping to surprise her, but instead she ran into the bathroom to throw up. She came out a few minutes later and immediately grabbed a glass of orange juice and a slice of bread before heading back to the living room and curling back up on the couch. John gave Sherlock a look before the man went and sat on the floor in front of his girlfriend.

“Hey…. The doctor’s called when you were asleep….” His face grew more concerned and sad as he spoke. “They, uh…. They wanted to see how you were holding up with the news.”

“Bastards…” She muttered as she nibbled on the bread. Sitting up, Taliya took Sherlock’s hand and guided him up till he was sitting next to her on the couch. She took his hand and cupped her cheek with it as tears began to fall from her eyes. 

“I was going to tell you…. I wanted to tell you but I was just so scared.” Taliya let out a sob before she continued. “I made dinner and was going to sit you both down and tell you that…. that…..” she sniffed, trying to control herself before she told him her decision. A moment later, Sherlock wrapped his arms around her. He felt so warm, he smelled of bergamot and orange…. all things that Taliya would miss about him. She took a deep breath and cleared her throat a bit. 

“The doctor gave me four months without treatment, maybe less. She said maybe I’d make it to the new year…. I can either die on the table next month, die in four months, or become a chemical filled waste of space and then die in a year or maybe two. I’m so sorry, but I can’t live like that.” Taliya explained, her face nuzzling closer to her boyfriend's chest. 

“I understand….” The detective said. Taliya could feel a few tears landing on her head. She looked up and confirmed her suspicions, Sherlock was crying. She wiped his tears from his face. “Hey now…. Enough of that. There’ll be plenty of time for that later.” She smiled, looking over and noticing John was a sobbing mess as well. 

~three months later~

December 31st, 2018. Sherlock had been helping Taliya for what felt like years. Her health had been slowly declining, but not as painful as if she were taking treatments. The two sat in front of the fireplace at 221B underneath one large wool blanket. Sherlock could feel Taliya’s heart rate slowing, he knew her time was coming. 

“I love you…. Sherlock.” Taliya smiled up at him and kissed his cheek before resting her head on his chest. Tears welled in his eyes once again. The detective brushed the bangs from his girlfriend’s forehead a minute before midnight, and her head was cold. 

“I love you, Taliya.” He whispered to her as the clock chimed the new year, but there was no response, no movement, no heartbeat. 

“Taliya…. Taliya?”


End file.
